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Kagemusha - Criterion Collection Actors: Tatsuya Nakadai, Tsutomu Yamazaki Director: Akira Kurosawa Number of Items: 2 Format: Color, Closed-captioned, Widescreen Audience Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested) Running Time: 180 minutes Studio: Criterion Collection Product Group: DVD Release Date: 2005-03-29 Buy from Amazon

Customer Reviews: Total numer of reviews: 63 Average rating: 4.5 "Historical drama, Kurosawa style" For regular viewers of Kurosawa's work, Kagemusha at times seems rather slow-paced in its plot-work. However, the epic feel of the movie will keep you riveted and the plot eventually speeds up to its darkly satisfying conclusion. One of Kurosawa's last works, and one of his first in color, Kagemusha will leave you breathless in its imagery and devices - if you appreciate the samurai era then this historically-based epic is for you! "A REAL SAMURAI FILM" If you like Japanese History and if you like Samurai, you shouldn't miss it. It is the most attractive film in general content of above. The message conveyed is foundamental mysterious story of Japan. Among Ran, all the films directed by Akira, other samurai film and TV programs, it is a masterpiece. "Flawless visuals complete vindicate shaky performances." Here's one example of a film whose power lies firmly in the visual and aesthetic departments. Kagemusha is beautiful beyond belief, filled with cinematic wonder, confident in the sheer force of imagery. Much has been made of the melodramatic style of acting that Nakadai Tatsuyo indulges in, both here and in Ran (1985). Kagemusha benefits from the fact that it doesn't give Nakadai as much incentive to overplay -- as opposed to the King Lear madness of Ran, which provided Nakadai with a stage to receive his overacting. Kagemusha, thankfully, dwells in the exquisite art designs (Kurosawa Akira took years to draw out the storyboards, having been unable to get the film produced for a long time), perfect compositions, inexhaustible wealth of colours, and sublime lighting. Deservedly the highest-grossing Japanese film of its time and, I would argue, Kurosawa's masterpiece.